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Session I:  March 11-19, 2012
Hale Kai, Kona Coast, Big Island of Hawai’i

Vocal River Exercises – Skill and Spirit

Our focus will be exercises that have been developed by Rhiannon over the 35 years of her teaching. These include: Crossing the Circle, Three Face Front, Orchestra, Band, Shape Shifting, Jump Shift, Rain, Home, Circle Singing and Cards among others.

Singers will work with the exercises in various configurations, receive and give feedback and begin to integrate the influence of these exercises, including practicing how each might teach or use them. We will also study song form, singing over changes and interpreting lyrics as we examine the connections of those forms to Vocal River Exercises. The intention is to develop musical skill and intuitive wisdom working hand in hand. Hale Kai is a wondrous small retreat center built like a Balinese village directly on the coast, with the sight and sound of the ocean ever present. Ho’okena Beach is a five minute walk away, is wonderful for swimming and it is where dolphins and turtles often swim as well! Guests from the island will share with us teachings about chanting and the ancient wisdom of these islands. The strong presence of nature and Hawaiian culture combine to make this a perfect location to begin our journey together.

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Session II:  June 15-23, 2012
Coastal Marin, California

Song of Place – Giving Back to Community, to Nature and to the Circle

The focus will be on our connection to the power of sound. This week brings us to the heart of the matter. To speak of the power of the voice is so individual and the meaning of it so personal, we must begin by acknowledging the song and ancestors of this place, as we will have done in Session I in Hawai’i. We will also share the music and sounds of our own healing work with one another at the same time as we extend out to nature and the community. There will be conversations about the word “healing” and how to keep that grounded in the reality of skill-building and the connection of body and voice. The culture of West Marin deeply values community and the direct relationship to the wild and diverse nature of the Point Reyes National Seashore, and so we will interact with the ocean, trees, trails, wildlife, and also some of the many inspirational human residents, as well as continuing to grow our collaborations with one another. We will deepen our study of the Vocal River exercises and see how improvisation contributes to the community and to the heart of all. Local performances will be organized to share our work.

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Session III, October 6-14, 2012
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Collaboration and Performance – Sharing Body and Voice

We will focus on rehearsal and performance with one another and with several Montreal-based artists. Singers, instrumentalists, dancers, actors, art and photographs will all be possible collaborative partners. We will study how to enter this realm of sharing creative space with an audience and/or partners while staying in that authentic, ceremonial, poetic time. We will be living in the center of this cosmopolitan French Canadian city full of inspiration and diversity. We will have a session with each of our resident performance partners, and on the final day, we will bring all these collaborators together for an extended rehearsal followed by an intimate evening performance. Our performance will be a celebration, will reflect all we have studied in our sessions, and may be a rite of passage into the next phase of your artistic life.